Cooling device for the water circulation of automobile-engines.



Y y A. P. woLFE. COOLING DEV-ICE FORl THE WATER CIRCULATION 0F AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 201 1912- r 1,15%19511. Patentedune 1,1915.

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l IIIIllI ARTHUR P. WOLFE, F VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

speeificationpf Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application led November 20, 1912. l Serial No. 732,415.`

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. WOLFE, of Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new andl useful Improvements in Cooling Devices for the later Circulation of Automobile-Engines, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a cooling device which may be used to supplement, or if desired to take the place of the ordinary radiator apparatus nonT employed in automobiles. By my device the heated water which has been pumped from the water jacket of the engine, is subdivided into a number of tine streams which are caused to pass in the form of films or sprays in contact with air at atmospheric pressure. I find that the heated water is more rapidly cooled when in contactwith air at atmospheric pressures than when passed through the ordinary radiator. By my device l am further able to effect this spraying of the water without any objectionable escape of vaporized water. This l accomplish by sutliciently prolonging small atmospheric vent tubes to permit condensation within them of any vapor which would otherwise escape.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is a front elevation of an automobile radiator having my device applied thereto. Fig. I, is an enlarged sectional view along the line Il, Il., of Fig. I. showing my device including the connect-ions -for the water circulation. Fig.` lll, is a sectional view of one of the cooling units employed in my device on a still more enlarged scale. Fig. IV, is a cross section along the line IV, 1V, in Fig. HI.

Referring to Fig. l, there-is shown. in

front view an ordinary radiator of which 1,

is the `upper reservoir shown in cross .sec-

tion in Fig. ll, from which the 'water passes in a muuber of thin sheets between ,the walls of the reservoir where it is drawn o'l'tat 23,"andjJ returned to the water jacket of the engii'ie, whence it is returned by a pipe 3, entering thc reservoir l. at Il.

manifold 7, extending over the top of the Urid to the lower part ofthe` .A valve 5, interposed in this pipe whereby, when it 1s dc-` which feeds into a head orradiator. From the lhead 7, there `descend' a large number of small water pipes 8, the

total sectional area of these lpipes being the radiator,` and in .free communication i therewith are a series of drums 10, having corrugated metal peripheries. The lower end of each drum has a large aperture 11, opening into the interiorof the reservoir l, while the upper end `of each drum is closed by a plate 12, which receives' a plurality (as shown in the drawings, two) of the water pipes 8, so that as shown each pair of water pipes 8, is continually discharging streams of heated water into the drum 10. An annular disk 15, is set horizontally across the drum at a convenient distance from its top and operates'as arballe plate, its circular edges reaching to the inner edges of the corrugated periphery of the drum, leaving free spaces all around corresponding with each corrugation, so that the streams of water descending through thepi-pes 8,

after striking this diskV or baffle plate are broken up and forced to descend around its edges in the forni of a multiplicity of Very fine streams one occupying the region of each corrugation and descending therein to the bottom of the drum and thence to the interior' of the reservoir 1. f

A vent tube 17, is set within each disk l5, centrally and passes upward through the plate 1Q, at the top of the drum and a short distance above. as shown clearly in Fig. IH. This vent tube permits free access of air at at-niospheric pressure to the interior of the drum, so that the descending streams or films of `water are in Contact with air at atmospheric pressure. The vent tubes further suiier some escape of vapor or steam, passing olf from the-water, but the tube long enough and `(being exposed to the yatri)osphcre) cool enough, Vto effect the recendensation of such vapors before they leave the'upper enc inany substantial quantity, the recondensed vapor dripping back into-the drum and thence into the reservoir.

By the operation of my device. as shown,

when it is found that suiiicientcooling of the circulatory `waiter system is notvetfected by the mfdinarv radiator of the automobile as ,frequently occurs in hotweather, or when opera tin g the valve 5, is titrned so as to throw the continually under heavy loads,`

water circulation through the cooling apparatus which I have invented. The effect of this is that the heated waterissubdivided into a large number of independent streams and these streams broken up as they descend around the edges ofthe baiie plates, into a very large number of fine films which' lupon the reservoir may vary as circumstances require. In the drawing I have shown a small cooling apparatus involving four rows of thirteen each, but ordinarily a larger number is employed. These drums may be of any convenient size. I have found that drums rather deeply corrugated and about three-quarters of .an inch in diameter answer very well.

Although I have'shown a cooling device which I have employed with success, yet it will be understood that I do not conne'the application of my invention to the particularv device shown. In principle I believe that I have adopted a new method of cool: ing to the water circulation apparatus of an automobile engine, which method involves permitting the heated water to pass in very line films or streams in contact with air at atmospheric pressure. I

I find that a comparativelv short amount of travel by a very thin iilm of water in contact with airunder such conditions as I establish, eect more cooling of the liquid than is accomplished by a similar travel of the water under other conditions which have been employed. Y

Although I have shown my device as auxiliary to and supplemental to the ordinary radiator cooler, yet it will be understood that my invention is not thus limited to a supplemental cooling device, but that to any extent that may be desired my cooling apparatus may be used to take the place of the radiators or otherl cooling devices heretofore used. There is however, a distinct advantage to be obtained in using my device as `supplemental to a radiator, in lthat it is there- .by possible without changing the amount of water which is in circulation, to increase or decrease the extent of the surface of the water exposed to radiation Aof itsl heat.

{Eventhough the valve be, turned so that the; waterfcir'culation passes only through ther-g, radiator, vthe advantages secured of maintaining such circulation at atmospheric pressures, and any substantial escape of vapor, is prevented by recondensation of the saine in the vent tubes.

` culation of vapors passing from the recting the Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y

1. A cooling apparatus for the water circulation of an automobile engine, including devices the l jected to cooling air, devices for subdividing the water to be cooled into fine streams and directing the same to said air-cooled devices, and means for subdividing said streamsinto fine films on the' inner surfaces of the' aircooled'devices, said `devices being closed at the. sides and openl at the top for permitting free access [of air to the interior of each of said air-cooled devices, whereby the water to be cooled is maintained at atmospheric pressure. f 2. A cooling apparatus for thewaf'er ciran automobile engine; including outer surfaces ofy whichV are sub-v 4devicesv the outer surfaces of which are subjected to cooling air, devices'for subdividing access of air to the interior of said devices,

said tubes extending above said devices, whereby the water vapors passing from the devices with the air will be condensed in the tubes and returned to said devices, and means supported by the tubes in the aircooled devices for subdividing the streams into fine films on the inner faces of said aircooled devices.

3. A cooling apparatus for the water circirculation of'an automobile engine, including a series of drums having their outer surfaces exposed to the air, a pipe connected with the top of each drum for directing a stream of water thereto, and directing the stream of water in each drum against the interior surface of the drum, and a `pipe for each drum which exi tends therefrom and4 is open to the atmosphere for permitting accessof air to the interior of the drum and for condensing the drum with the air and 'returning said water vapors to the drum.

4. A cooling apparatus for the water circulation of an automobile engine, including a series of metal 'drums having corrugated peripheries, the outer surfaces of said drums being exposed to the air, ing the water to be cooled in sub-divided streams into said drums, means for directing said streams against the inner periphery of the drum, whereby they are sub-divided into fine films, and means for permitting free access of air to the interior of said drums.

5. A cooling apparatus for the water circulation of an automobile' engine, including a series of metal drums having corrugated peripheries,

means for dividing devices for direct' a pipe for each drum for di. water to be,v cooled into the,

drums, a battle plate in each drum .for directing the Water discharged therethrough against the corrugated periphery of the drum, whereby the Water is sub-divided into a plurality of line ilms, a tube connected to each baflie plate, and extending from the drum for permitting free access of air `to the drum beneath the baille plate.

6. A cooling apparatus for the water circulation of an automobile engine, including` I a header adapted to receive the water to be cooled, a radiator, a plurality of drums between the radiator and the header, a pipe for directing the water from the,header into each drum, devices for subdividing the water received in each drum into fine films, a pipe leading to the top of the radiator, and a ipe leading to the header, and a valve, w ereby the water to be'cooled may be passed direct to the top of the radiator, or maybe passed through the header and the drums to the top of the radiator.

7. A cooling apparatus for the water circulation of an automobile engine, including a header adapted to receive the Water to be cooled, a radiator, a plurality of separate and independent cooling devices between the radiator and the header, said devices including means for dividing the water to be cooled into tine films, and means for permitting free acess of air to the water being cooled, aipipe, leading to the top of the radiator, a pipe leading to the header, and a valve whereby the Water to be cooled may be passed directly to the top of the radiator, or may be passed through the header and the independent cooling devices to the top of the radiator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name vat Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this nineteenth day of November,

ARTHUR P. WOLFE. Witnesses JAL/ms H. BELL, E. L. FUILERTON.

(topics of this patent may Abe obtained for five dents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

